Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Step up the battle against hunger and malnutrition

Step up the battle against hunger and malnutrition

Vatican City, 16 October 2015 (VIS) – On the occasion of the seventieth
anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Holy Father sent a message to the
director general Jose Graziano da Silva.

Noting that a great number of our brothers and sisters still suffer
from hunger and malnutrition in spite of the great efforts made to
combat these problems, he condemns the underlying causes: an uneven
distribution of resources and the lack of agricultural development. “We
live in an age in which the unfettered pursuit of profit, the
concentration of particular interests and the effects of unjust policies
render less effective the actions taken by States or impede effective
cooperation within the international community”. He adds that much
remains to be done in this area.

The theme chosen for this year's World Food Day – “Social protection
and agriculture, breaking the cycle of poverty”, is an issue that
affects two thirds of the world population, who lack even basic social
protection. “This fact is made even more alarming by the fact that the
majority of these people live in the most disadvantaged parts of
countries where … the only means of survival is linked to scarce
agricultural production, and small-scale fishing and animal husbandry.
Indeed, the lack of social protection weighs most heavily on local
farmers … and fishermen, forced to live in precarious conditions, as the
fruit of their work depends largely on environmental conditions that
are often outside their control, and they lack resources for facing poor
harvests or for procuring the necessary technical tools. Paradoxically,
even when production is abundant, they encounter serious difficulties
linked to the transportation, sale and conservation of the fruits of
their labour”.

Faced with this situations, “we cannot be satisfied with a generic
appeal for cooperation or to the common good. Perhaps we must ask: is it
still possible to conceive of a society in which the resources reside
in the hands of the few, and the least privileged must make do with the
leftovers? The answer cannot be limited to good intentions, but must
consist rather in 'social peace, the stability and security provided by a
certain order which cannot be achieved without particular concern for
distributive justice; whenever this is violated, violence always
ensues”, the Pope writes.

The most disadvantaged, due to the lack of social protection, “suffer
the negative consequences of a persistent economic crisis or phenomena
linked to corruption and poor governance, as well as climate changes”,
and “ask for our support, to be able to look to the future with a
minimum of hope”. However, “social protection cannot be limited to an
increase in income, or be reduced to investment in means of subsistence
for an improvement of agricultural production or the promotion of
equitable economic development. It must be made concrete in that 'social
love' that is the key to genuine development. … Social protection can
foster in the most disadvantaged a capacity for resilience, to face and
overcome difficulties”. For instance, he added, it is able to “support
the family, whose members learn from the beginning what it means to
share, to help each other, and to protect each other. Guaranteeing
family life means promoting the economic growth of women, thus
consolidating their role in society, as well as favouring care for the
elderly and enabling the young to continue their scholastic and
professional preparation”.

“The Church does not have the mission of directly dealing with such
problems from a technical point of view. However, the human aspects of
these situations cannot leave her indifferent”. He concludes, “May all
people, in accordance with their own possibilities, give the best of
themselves in a spirit of genuine service to others. In this effort, the
work of the FAO will be fundamental if it has the necessary means for
ensuring social protection in the framework of sustainable development
and the support of those who live and work in agriculture, animal
husbandry, fishing and forestry”.